San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-24


verne did not feel well enough TO come
downstairs. Marks face was study,
yet no one seemed to notice IL except
myself, The knowledge that there was
amystery in the house was painful 10
me. Lady Yorke seemed distressed
not merely anxious, but distressed. L
saw tears in her eyes; and, when we
were alone, she sighed frequently and
deeply, as though she had something
on her mind.
In the evening, just before the dress
ing-bell rang, TO my establishment
Martha Clyde raped at the door of
Lady Yorke's boudoir. She wanted
Ito speak to her ladyship most particu-
larly,n but she would not keep her long.
went away and left them together.
During dinner saw that Lady Yorke
was quite unlike herself, nervous, agi-
tated, unequal TO the occasion, and
more than once she glanced imploringly
at Lord Severne.
Dinner over, | was not much sur
prised when servant came to say that
Lady Yorke wished to see me in her
boudoir at once. / went. l had never
seen the mistress of Westwood look so
sad or so distressed before.
Just turn the key in the door, Miss
Chester" she said. II want few min
utes conversation with you without in
terruption."
did as she wished, and then stood
before her. wondering at her agitation,
her pale face, the sorrow expressed in
her whole demeanor. She wrung her
hands, began to speak, and then hest
tated.
THE fact is" she said, 81 am at a
loss what to say or how to begin. l
feel the shame and tie disgrace keenly,
as though they were my own. | must
tell you, but do not know how"
rs it's it of Lady Severne?" l
asked.
Yes" she replied. THANK you for
breaking the ice thus far. 1t is of her l
want to speak. You asked me once If
anything were wrong with her, and l
told you yes, the canker was always at
the heart of the fairest rose; the worm
always DESTROYS the sweetest bud"
~ remember, but | did not under
stand in the least said.
Probably not. Lady Severne is beau
tiful, charming, she las many admira-
BILE qualities, she is very popular; but
there is one fatal drawback, so fatal
that all the other gifts are neutralized
by it,
anxiously.
II am ashamed to tell you. They are
almost the most horrible words that
can be said of a woman, but they are
unhappily true, Miss Chester. The
fact is, Lady Severne drinks"
recoiled as though she had struck
me terrible blow; but Lady Yorke
looked relieved at having told her hor-
rible secret at last:
1T is true; she drinks!''
"But,"I cried, aghast with horror,
.'she is IA lady; it canioa be posi-
blel"
'It is quite true, Miss Chester"
"Drinksw Such a solution of the
mystery had never occurred to me for
one moment. If Lady Yorke had said,
"She cheats at cards, she would rob her
neighbor, she has committed murder"
even then | should not have felt so
surprised. 1t was horrible to think
that this beautiful woman, Mark s wife,
should be guilty of so degrading vice.
But how is such thing possiblep" /
cried, eagerly. Surely she could avoid
it if she would?'
II cannot tell: she says it is disease
that seizes her and holds her fast in its
clutches. At times, for weeks together,
she is all that can be desired-a most
agreeable, charming. fascinating wom-
an; then for few days she appears alb
sOlutely to lose all control over her
SELF
But why do they let her have intox-
icating liquOrsI Why not keep them
from her?n ! asked.
They cannot You may be sure
that Lord Severne has tried everything;
so has that faithful maid of hers, Mar
tina Clyde. 1t is easier to soothe the
paroxysms of the insane than to APP
pease such craving as hers. l have
heard Martha say that when this horri-
BILE craving is on her, she will stoop to
anything to get what she wants"
"How terriblel' | cried. "Oh. Lady
Yorke, l wish l had not known itl'
81 am obliged to tell you" she said;
''you may be sure that it is an unavoid-
able necessity. 1t is impossible that
Lady Severne can remain in the west
ern tower. Up to this present time no
one in the house knows her secret, ex-
cept her husband, Lord Yorke, Martha
Clyde, you and myself; but, if she re-
mains in the western tower, every one
must guess it. Martha Clyde told me
that she has never been 50 bad as she is
now, and she begged me to remove her
W NlClC ollC NOulu SOSn hOA
heard. Every one thinks that she is
ill; and it viii occasion no remark if l
say that she has asked for quieter,
warmer room. / thought" continued
Lady Yorke, "if you were willing,
would give her the room next to yours
in the Queens wing There she will
be quite safe; and you are so kind, Miss
Chester, you are so gentle and good,
that this pitiful case must touch your
heart. Will you see her sometimes2
You did me good; you might do her
good. You reclaimed me from life Of
idle self-indulgence, you might reclaim
her."
81 will do anything you wish, Lady
Yorke-anything."
1T will be great relief to me if you
will help Martha Clyde to remove the
unhappy woman. do not want Mash
am or any of the servants to know it. |
must return to my visitors. / shall
trust entirely to you"
She fastened away, leaving me hor-
ror-stricken and bewildered. Oh, Mark,
my dear, lost love, it would have been
better had you died!
CHAPTER XIV.
That was the solution of the mystery.
That was the cause of Marks watch